Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Market challengers frequently disrupt established incumbents with innovative ideas or novel business models. Yet, they frequently face high entry barriers and the entrenched power of incumbents. Even when challengers provide products or services better aligned with the market, competing effectively can remain difficult, particularly in monopoly-dominated sectors. This paper presents a case study of ViuTV entering Hong Kong’s monopoly-led free-to-air TV market. We identify IFH (innovation, freshness, hope) strategies for challengers to gain competitive advantage, leading to the emergence of a “market challenger premium” as a unique competitive edge. We also examine the role of customer cognitive biases and the importance of openly declaring direct competition between challengers and incumbents.
Keywords
market challenger premium, competitive advantage, market challengers, innovation strategy, customer bias, television industry
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
ISSN
14241277
Publication Title
International Journal on Media Management
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Business and Law
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Au, C. H., & Chou, C. (2026). Challenging the monopoly giant: Market challenger premium as competitive advantages. The International Journal on Media Management. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/14241277.2026.2694627